Johann Christian Hertel (born 25 June 1697 or 1699 in Oettingen; died October 1754 in Strelitz) was a German composer, violinist and a virtuoso performer on the viola da gamba.
As a player of the viola da gamba, he traveled to Dresden, Kassel, Weimar, Braunschweig, Meiningen, Gotha, and Berlin, to name a few.
Hertel's exact date of death is not ascertainable due to missing church records from both Strelitz and Neustrelitz.
Both the town of Neustrelitz and the entire region of Mecklenburg-Strelitz were abbreviated to "Strelitz" in contemporary usage.
Hertel's son, Johann Wilhelm also became a composer, as did his son-in-law Markus Heinrich Grauel.